Having a successful wedding planning business is just NOT as easy as loving weddings!

When I began Firefly Occasions, I quickly discovered that running the business was not as easy as it looked!

There were essential steps that I took in building Firefly Occasions that have led to its success in the planning world today.

And I want to share my secrets with you!

You can learn about this list of MUST HAVE, Wedding Planner Business Essentials (and how much they cost) from myself, the original Rockstar Wedding Planner!

And guess what? It’s FREE!

I am welcoming you to join me in Calgary on Tuesday June 14^th from 6-9pm for a FREE, no cost seminar.  In only 3 hours, you will learn what you MUST have to start, grow, and maintain a successful planning business.

And if you want to be a Firefly Occasions wedding planner, there’s no time like NOW. I am on the hunt for wedding planners to join Firefly Occasions. You could be the next Firefly! I’ll give you all the details at this event.

This seminar will be in HIGH DEMAND and seats are limited.

All we ask is that you call 1-800-791-5636 ext 701 or email katie@fireflyoccasions.com by June 10th with a credit card ready to secure your spot with a $20 no show deposit.

Don’t worry! This means that a crisp $20 dollar bill will be waiting for you upon check-in because learning my secrets is too good to pass up!

This is a rare opportunity to learn from me in person.  My current coaching programs for wedding planners are between $8,500-$50,000. But the cost of this seminar is $0!

To make this an even more exciting experience the first 10 want-to be-planners to register will receive reserved front row seats at the event. (Reserved seats will be released 5 minutes before the seminar begins so don’t be late!)

Tomorrow is our deadline for reaching the magic number of 75 live simulcast attendees for the event. Are you still wondering if this virtual opportunity is for you? 

Are you worried that you won’t get the same content as live attendees?

We plan on broadcasting every minute of the event to your computer, so you don’t need to worry about missing a thing. Unlike a normal Vegas road trip, this time, if it happens in Vegas, it doesn’t stay in Vegas, you get to see it all.

Are you thinking that attending virtually won’t provide the same networking opportunities?

If you attend the live simulcast you will be sharing the virtual space with at least 75 other virtual attendees. You will have a live chat room where you can share all of your questions, take-aways, and business ideas. It will be a great networking opportunity.

I won’t be able to attend all of the sessions live.

This isn’t a problem at all as every session is recorded as it is streamed live. You will have almost immediate access to these recordings so you can catch up on what you missed, or review a session you found interesting.

I won’t get to interact with the speakers or live audience.

Using the chat room, and Jeremie your community liaison, you will have the opportunity to have your questions answered by the speakers. Live attendees will also be able to visit the simulcast camera and say hello. We will do everything we can to make you feel like you are in the room.

If that helps you make your decision then click here and come join us in the Grace & Luxury virtual community.

The deadline for our 75 attendees is tomorrow, so come join us now.

Love and wedding planning success,

Ciara

(You can see pictures on our Firefly Fan Page.)

Well, Rockstar Wedding Planners Innovate! And we’ve definitely been busy providing you with innovative ideas to grow your high-end wedding planning business in our video series. Click here to see the tips if you haven’t already.

Soon we’re Vegas-bound March 21-23 for Rockstar Wedding Planner LIVE, Grace and Luxury: How to Attract, Work With, and Be Referred By The High-End Bride. If you haven’t registered yet, I recommend reserving your space ASAP while there are still some seats left. It’s a great opportunity to meet other High-End Wedding Planners ready to claim their own High-End Bridal Clients.

Frankly this event could change your life.  Click here to learn more and purchase your ticket. I hope you’re coming.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner so I hope you enjoy my article, “Love Is in the Air, But Are They Planning Their Wedding Without You?”

Love and wedding planning success,

Ciara

That’s great news for those of us running our own wedding planning businesses. The sky is the limit! You just have to make strategic choices that fit your goals.

Sy and I are thrilled with the new nanny we hired for Declan. With an extra set of hands (and eyes) around I’m able to still be the mother I want to be for him…and show him as he grows up how mommies can be incredibly successful at the same time!

I feel so blessed to have designed my life to be the way it is now. But it wasn’t always like this…

At first I struggled quite a bit. Then I discovered there were specific steps to take to become a high end wedding planner.

If you’d like to step into YOUR greatness planning weddings for high end brides I invite you to watch this video by one of my alumni as she talks about the free 5 week video training course I am putting on, called How to Set-up Your High-End Wedding Business. A few of my friends share their experiences too. Don’t be left out. Sign up for video access now. You don’t want to miss this! Click here to watch the video and sign up for the video series.

Love and wedding planning success,

Ciara

Keep Your Energy Strong Rockstar Wedding Planner, No Matter What the Situation

 

Do you watch Glee? It’s this awesome show that is totally addicting to people like me who love music, theatre and drama… yep that’s totally me. Glee is about a bunch of kids in high school who are all apart of the Glee Club and they sing and dance their way through high school life. The shows deal with different things that kids go through in school but with a musical number in tow.

 

Well the recent episodes are dealing with the kids being bullied. One kid in particular, Kurt, has had to move schools because of being bullied.

 

And that hit home hard. I actually cried during that episode.

 

You see, I was bullied really badly in school and I actually had to move schools because of it. It was terrible but it was for the best because I really couldn’t concentrate on anything when that was happening.

 

The reason I’m bringing this up is because the energy you surround yourself with can affect every aspect of your life. And when that energy is negative energy it can put you in a complete tailspin that’s really hard to get out of. Even though we’re not kids anymore we can still get ourselves into negative situations filled with drama and well, it’s tough to concentrate on anything else and our wedding planning business suffers.

 

If you’ve had a disagreement with a vendor, a run in with another wedding planner, or heard that someone in the wedding industry is saying not so nice things about you it can hurt, but here are 3 tips to help you cope:

 

1) Get Away From That Virtual Energy- If you’re having some drama with someone else in the wedding industry I’m guessing that you’re probably stalking them on facebook and twitter. Yes, I know you are. Stop torturing yourself and hide their feed. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

2) Figure Out You- Figure out who you really want to be an own it. Bullies pick on people to test them and they like to step on other people to make themselves feel better. But they don’t get far when that person is confident and stands up for themselves and that’s so much easier to do when you’re confident with the person you want to be. Don’t stoop to their level. You’re a Rockstar Wedding Planner afterall.

3) Find Your Real Friends- Just like the Glee Club there’s a place for everyone. If you’re feeling left out or turned away by the crowd you think you want to run with it might mean that God is telling you that these people are just not your tribe. See if you can find other vendors and wedding industry people to network with who aren’t a bunch of “Mean Girls.”

 

4) Don’t Stop Being Great- A lot of times people put others down when they’re doing great things because of jealousy. They wish they were doing what you’re doing or they wish they’d thought of that idea first. When someone comes down on you and starts mocking you for being a strong, idea filled wedding planner all of a sudden you get a little more shy about trying new things. Well, shine brightly Rockstar Wedding Planner! You have a lifetime of ideas in you waiting to be acted on and I don’t want you to miss stepping into your greatness for one minute because of a bully!

 

 

Ciara’s Rockstar Wedding Planner Advice

 

 

  ]]> http://www.rockstarweddingplanner.com/keep-your-energy-strong-rockstar-wedding-planner-no-matter-what-the-situation/feed/ 1 http://www.rockstarweddingplanner.com/things-i-can%e2%80%99t-live-without-as-a-wedding-planner/ http://www.rockstarweddingplanner.com/things-i-can%e2%80%99t-live-without-as-a-wedding-planner/#comments Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:59:26 +0000 Rockstar Wedding Planner http://rockstarweddingplanner.com/?p=1838 By Ciara Daykin

Having a new baby certainly puts things into perspective. I’m 2 weeks into motherhood and baby Declan is taking up a lot of my time but my wedding planning business hasn’t shut its doors. On the contrary, we’re busier than ever! But I want to spend time with Declan so it means that I have to make the most of the tools I have available to me so that I can maximize my time with my son but make quick efficient decisions when it comes to the business. And when I’m working I want it to be fun and comfortable so there are just certain things I need.
 
It really has gotten me thinking about the things that I just can’t live without as a wedding planner. Here are 9 of my favorite things as a wedding planner:
 
1.  My IPhone- I am a recent convert to the IPhone. I used to have a Blackberry and I think having either of the 2 smart phones is an absolute MUST as a wedding planner. I love that I don’t have to sit down at my computer to review emails and websites, I can do it on the go or with my little bambina in my lap!
 
2.  Metal Water Bottle- It sounds so simple but when you’re at a wedding there’s nothing worse than trying to track down a glass of water. Keeping yourself hydrated at a wedding is absolutely key.

3.  Flat Shoes- When I first started out I tried to be chic in high heels but I’ve never been good in heels at the best of times let along 10 hours into a wedding. My new shoe love is Kenneth Cole Gentle Souls.

4.  My 1-800 Number- Love having a 1-800 number so the world doesn’t have my cell phone! I love even more that I can forward it anywhere, set the hours when it rings and I had Simon record the message and well, his English accent is just awesome. We use grasshopper.com for our 1-800 number

5.  Cherry Blaster Sour Candy- Okay so this is my fav candy and I think you need to have a little fun sweet treat once in awhile to keep yourself sane.

6.  Goddess Guidance Cards by Doreen Virtue- I love gaining inspiration from these cards by Doreen Virtue. They’re all good cards and each offers a different powerful goddess story. I also have her Saints and Angels cards which I also love and use often. I find these cards really center me especially during an event. They really ground me and always tell me what I need to hear. You can get them here.
 
7.  My journal- Being a wedding planner, a wife, a Mom, a friend, a daughter, a CEO is just a wee bit stressful and sometimes overwhelming. I love sitting down and writing in my journal all the things that I’ve been bottling up inside and sometimes I can’t share with anyone else. Here is my fav brand of journals:  https://www.papayaart.com/

8.  Virtual Assistant- Most of you know Jessica my virtual assistant. I have to give her a shout out in this list as I really couldn’t do this job without her. I love that I can just drop her an email with a task and know that it’s going to get done. It’s hard to do it all yourself and a virtual assistant is a perfect way to start getting help until you’re able to have an in person team.

9.  Support- I really truly could not do what I do without the support of my husband and my family. It’s key that when you’re making big leaps in your business and in your life that you have a strong support team behind you. The support I have from all my staff is super key as well- I have to be able to rely on them. I also have the support of my mastermind group. That group of ladies is always inspiring me to dream bigger.
 
Ciara’s Rockstar Advice
 
Don’t tolerate not having the tools you need to make your life easier and more comfortable. Being a wedding planner is a busy job and you need to surround yourself with your favorite things, the practical and the fun!

I can’t begin to tell you how happy Simon and I are. We are overwhelmed with love and happiness, and a bit of exhaustion too

Now that Declan has made his appearance, I’m also excited to announce the winner of our Baby Contest. Join me in congratulating Sonya House-Jenkins, a Hall of Fame member of my 6 Figure Wedding Planner Club. She will already be joining me at the 2011 Rockstar LIVE event (one of the many perks of Rockstar 6 Figure Wedding Planner club membership!) so Sonya is going to receive a full upgrade for her stay during the LIVE event, she’ll be treated to a gorgeous, lush suite, making her stay super-comfy! Congrats, Sonya!!

Of course, the arrival of Declan also means the end of our 40% off sale. The sale will end in 12 hours, so it’s time to act now to cash in on the savings.

Here’s just a sample of products you can now purchase at a 40% discount:

• Rise to Fame Kit – A blueprint for your wedding business, with step-by-step ideas you can implement now to build your best business yet.
• Avoid the Top 4 Mistakes Wedding Planners Make With their Cash Flow – Learn how to manage your cash flow so you don’t have to live on a shoe-string in between wedding. My special guest Elizabeth Potts shares all of her small business financing tips.
• Twitter, You Tube, Facebook, Oh My! Weddings & Social Media – How You can Get In on the Action -Social media can be very overwhelming at times, but if you’re not tweeting you’re missing out on a lot of potential connections! Listen to me and my special guest Stephanie Hunt, The Wedding Technista, discuss how to deal with today& rsquo;s tech savvy bride and groom (especially if you’re not so tech savvy yourself). You’ll also learn tips on staying ahead of emerging tech trends, how to grow an innovative wedding business and how to use Twitter to boost your Rockstar wedding planner status
• PLUS, many more products to will change the way you run your business and put money in your pocket!

Don’t delay as products are going super-fast and the sale ends in just 12 hours!!

Thank you all for your well wishes during these last 9 months, you all are Rockstars in every way.

In between weddings this summer, download some knowledge to your Kindle or crack the spine of a traditional paperback… here are some of my favorites to read as a Rockstar Wedding Planner:

1. Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk - Learn how a guy working in a liquor store skyrocketed to a multi millionaire using social media to create THE buzz around wine.
2. Spiritual Liberation by Michael Bernard Beckwith - One of your favorites from “The Secret” movie shares his journey to spiritual liberation and just what the law of attraction can mean in your life.
3. 29 Gifts by Cami Walker- Could you give 29 gifts in 29 days? Cami Walker did and her entire life changed.
4. Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy by JJ Virgin – The bride doesn’t have to be the only one sporting hot guns this summer. Check out JJ’s advice on feeling hot and fabulous.
5. Prosperity Pie by Sark - Money scare you? Sark makes it fun and manageable by changing your attitude around what it all means.
6. The Four Spiritual Pillars of Prosperity by Edwene Gaines – One of the books that completely changed my life. Could you tithe 10% of everything you make? What would happen if you did?
7. Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach – One of the first books I read to help me take the fear out of money and I was only 19 years old! This book helps you set up a plan for your money that’s smart and sassy.
8. Leadership Wisdom from the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma – When I wanted to step up and be a leader I purchased this book and learned what leadership truly means and what it doesn’t.
9. The Conscious Bride by Sheryl Paul – What is a bride really thinking? The transition from single to married is NOT an easy one and if you understand what she’s going through you can help her on this journey.
10. Signature Sasha by Sasha Souza – Wedding designer Sasha Souza is fun in real life and her personality jumps off the pages of her new book. Her designs are fresh and offer a twist on what’s hot.
11. Purple Cow by Seth Godin – What’s a purple cow you say? Well Seth Godin explains exactly what makes a Purple Cow and how having one or structuring your business to be one is highly profitable.
12. Smart Women Know Their Why by Sheri McConnell – Do you know your Why? My friend Sheri McConnell asked me my “Why?” once and it really made me think. Dive into her personal story of hardship and triumph to find your passion and purpose, the necessary foundation for a strong business.

Ciara’s Rockstar Advice

If all you were planning on reading this summer were wedding ceremony programs stop being so lame and pick up some real reading material! There’s always time to grow your mind… and perhaps work on your tan as you do it!